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The most unconventional of seasons makes for the most unconventional of draft prep.

We enter the offseason not knowing how much of what we've seen we can actually believe, given the small sample of it all, and our first mock draft for 2021 reflects it. A mainstay like J.D. Martinez, who hit .213 in 2020, slipped to Round 7. Same for Javier Baez, who hit .203, and Austin Meadows, who hit .205.

It's later than we're used to seeing them go, sure, but not as late as if they had put up those numbers over a full season

Others got almost a complete pass. Christian Yelich, who hit .205, and Cody Bellinger, who hit .239, both still went in the first round, albeit at the back end instead of the front end. They offer a higher ceiling, of course, and I'm of the belief they went where they should have given that their underlying skills registered as mostly still intact even as the production sagged. But the bottom line is that one-third of a full-length season isn't enough time to smooth over the oddities inherent to a sport where success and failure come in spurts.

Case in point: Jose Altuve, who hit .219 with five home runs during the two-month regular season, got to enjoy a third month because of the playoffs and performed so well, hitting .375 with five home runs, that he still managed to go in Round 4. It's earlier than I would have taken him, but that's also part of the point I want to make. When we all have to use our imagination to fill in the blanks for an incomplete season, we're less likely to arrive at the same place. It might take longer for the groupthink to set in this time around, if it does at all. 

As for the other end of the spectrum — i.e., the surprise contributors in the pandemic-shortened season  — they met with a healthy dose of skepticism in this first draft. Randy Arozarena, who ended up hitting a combined 17 home runs in 40 games between the regular season and playoffs, went in the middle of Round 10, 116th overall, and Teoscar Hernandez, who homered 16 times in 52 games between the regular season and playoffs, went eight picks later.

Wondering who was responsible for these picks? Meet the crew:

1) Phil Ponebshek, Patton & Company 
2) Scott White, CBS Sports (@CBSScottWhite)
3) Adam Aizer, CBS Sports (@AdamAizer)
4) Frank Stampfl, CBS Sports (@Roto_Frank)
5) Michael Dodson, lucky reader who got to join in
6) B_Don, Razzball (@RazzBDon)  
7) R.J. White, CBS Sports (@rjwhite1) 
8) Jesse Roche, Baseball Prospectus (@jaroche6)  
9) Evan Rosenthal, lucky reader who got to join in  
10) Micah Henry, New Life Fantasy (@FantasyCentral1) 
11) Chris Towers, CBS Sports (@CTowersCBS)  
12) Dan Gilbert, Fantasy Fisticuffs podcast (@DabberDanLit)

Round By Round
Round 1
Pos Team Player
1 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
2 Drew Klein
3 Cole Claybourn
4 Sean Snow
5 Dan Schneier
6 Frank Stampfl
7 Marty Tallman
8 Sean Martin
9 Mike Nelson
10 Jeremy Heist
11 Chris Towers
12 Scott White
Round 2
Pos Team Player
13 Scott White
14 Chris Towers
15 Jeremy Heist
16 Mike Nelson
17 Sean Martin
18 Marty Tallman
19 Frank Stampfl
20 Dan Schneier
21 Sean Snow
22 Cole Claybourn
23 Drew Klein
24 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 3
Pos Team Player
25 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
26 Drew Klein
27 Cole Claybourn
28 Sean Snow
29 Dan Schneier
30 Frank Stampfl
31 Marty Tallman
32 Sean Martin
33 Mike Nelson
34 Jeremy Heist
35 Chris Towers
36 Scott White
Round 4
Pos Team Player
37 Scott White
38 Chris Towers
39 Jeremy Heist
40 Mike Nelson
41 Sean Martin
42 Marty Tallman
43 Frank Stampfl
44 Dan Schneier
45 Sean Snow
46 Cole Claybourn
47 Drew Klein
48 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 5
Pos Team Player
49 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
50 Drew Klein
51 Cole Claybourn
52 Sean Snow
53 Dan Schneier
54 Frank Stampfl
55 Marty Tallman
56 Sean Martin
57 Mike Nelson
58 Jeremy Heist
59 Chris Towers
60 Scott White
Round 6
Pos Team Player
61 Scott White
62 Chris Towers
63 Jeremy Heist
64 Mike Nelson
65 Sean Martin
66 Marty Tallman
67 Frank Stampfl
68 Dan Schneier
69 Sean Snow
70 Cole Claybourn
71 Drew Klein
72 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 7
Pos Team Player
73 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
74 Drew Klein
75 Cole Claybourn
76 Sean Snow
77 Dan Schneier
78 Frank Stampfl
79 Marty Tallman
80 Sean Martin
81 Mike Nelson
82 Jeremy Heist
83 Chris Towers
84 Scott White
Round 8
Pos Team Player
85 Scott White
86 Chris Towers
87 Jeremy Heist
88 Mike Nelson
89 Sean Martin
90 Marty Tallman
91 Frank Stampfl
92 Dan Schneier
93 Sean Snow
94 Cole Claybourn
95 Drew Klein
96 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 9
Pos Team Player
97 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
98 Drew Klein
99 Cole Claybourn
100 Sean Snow
101 Dan Schneier
102 Frank Stampfl
103 Marty Tallman
104 Sean Martin
105 Mike Nelson
106 Jeremy Heist
107 Chris Towers
108 Scott White
Round 10
Pos Team Player
109 Scott White
110 Chris Towers
111 Jeremy Heist
112 Mike Nelson
113 Sean Martin
114 Marty Tallman
115 Frank Stampfl
116 Dan Schneier
117 Sean Snow
118 Cole Claybourn
119 Drew Klein
120 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 11
Pos Team Player
121 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
122 Drew Klein
123 Cole Claybourn
124 Sean Snow
125 Dan Schneier
126 Frank Stampfl
127 Marty Tallman
128 Sean Martin
129 Mike Nelson
130 Jeremy Heist
131 Chris Towers
132 Scott White
Round 12
Pos Team Player
133 Scott White
134 Chris Towers
135 Jeremy Heist
136 Mike Nelson
137 Sean Martin
138 Marty Tallman
139 Frank Stampfl
140 Dan Schneier
141 Sean Snow
142 Cole Claybourn
143 Drew Klein
144 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 13
Pos Team Player
145 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
146 Drew Klein
147 Cole Claybourn
148 Sean Snow
149 Dan Schneier
150 Frank Stampfl
151 Marty Tallman
152 Sean Martin
153 Mike Nelson
154 Jeremy Heist
155 Chris Towers
156 Scott White
Round 14
Pos Team Player
157 Scott White
158 Chris Towers
159 Jeremy Heist
160 Mike Nelson
161 Sean Martin
162 Marty Tallman
163 Frank Stampfl
164 Dan Schneier
165 Sean Snow
166 Cole Claybourn
167 Drew Klein
168 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 15
Pos Team Player
169 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
170 Drew Klein
171 Cole Claybourn
172 Sean Snow
173 Dan Schneier
174 Frank Stampfl
175 Marty Tallman
176 Sean Martin
177 Mike Nelson
178 Jeremy Heist
179 Chris Towers
180 Scott White
Round 16
Pos Team Player
181 Scott White
182 Chris Towers
183 Jeremy Heist
184 Mike Nelson
185 Sean Martin
186 Marty Tallman
187 Frank Stampfl
188 Dan Schneier
189 Sean Snow
190 Cole Claybourn
191 Drew Klein
192 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 17
Pos Team Player
193 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
194 Drew Klein
195 Cole Claybourn
196 Sean Snow
197 Dan Schneier
198 Frank Stampfl
199 Marty Tallman
200 Sean Martin
201 Mike Nelson
202 Jeremy Heist
203 Chris Towers
204 Scott White
Round 18
Pos Team Player
205 Scott White
206 Chris Towers
207 Jeremy Heist
208 Mike Nelson
209 Sean Martin
210 Marty Tallman
211 Frank Stampfl
212 Dan Schneier
213 Sean Snow
214 Cole Claybourn
215 Drew Klein
216 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 19
Pos Team Player
217 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
218 Drew Klein
219 Cole Claybourn
220 Sean Snow
221 Dan Schneier
222 Frank Stampfl
223 Marty Tallman
224 Sean Martin
225 Mike Nelson
226 Jeremy Heist
227 Chris Towers
228 Scott White
Round 20
Pos Team Player
229 Scott White
230 Chris Towers
231 Jeremy Heist
232 Mike Nelson
233 Sean Martin
234 Marty Tallman
235 Frank Stampfl
236 Dan Schneier
237 Sean Snow
238 Cole Claybourn
239 Drew Klein
240 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 21
Pos Team Player
241 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
242 Drew Klein
243 Cole Claybourn
244 Sean Snow
245 Dan Schneier
246 Frank Stampfl
247 Marty Tallman
248 Sean Martin
249 Mike Nelson
250 Jeremy Heist
251 Chris Towers
252 Scott White
Round 22
Pos Team Player
253 Scott White
254 Chris Towers
255 Jeremy Heist
256 Mike Nelson
257 Sean Martin
258 Marty Tallman
259 Frank Stampfl
260 Dan Schneier
261 Sean Snow
262 Cole Claybourn
263 Drew Klein
264 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Round 23
Pos Team Player
265 Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
266 Drew Klein
267 Cole Claybourn
268 Sean Snow
269 Dan Schneier
270 Frank Stampfl
271 Marty Tallman
272 Sean Martin
273 Mike Nelson
274 Jeremy Heist
275 Chris Towers
276 Scott White
Team by Team
Anthony K. (@akfantasybb)
Rd Pk Player
1 1
2 24
3 25
4 48
5 49
6 72
7 73
8 96
9 97
10 120
11 121
12 144
13 145
14 168
15 169
16 192
17 193
18 216
19 217
20 240
21 241
22 264
23 265
Drew Klein
Rd Pk Player
1 2
2 23
3 26
4 47
5 50
6 71
7 74
8 95
9 98
10 119
11 122
12 143
13 146
14 167
15 170
16 191
17 194
18 215
19 218
20 239
21 242
22 263
23 266
Cole Claybourn
Rd Pk Player
1 3
2 22
3 27
4 46
5 51
6 70
7 75
8 94
9 99
10 118
11 123
12 142
13 147
14 166
15 171
16 190
17 195
18 214
19 219
20 238
21 243
22 262
23 267
Sean Snow
Rd Pk Player
1 4
2 21
3 28
4 45
5 52
6 69
7 76
8 93
9 100
10 117
11 124
12 141
13 148
14 165
15 172
16 189
17 196
18 213
19 220
20 237
21 244
22 261
23 268
Dan Schneier
Rd Pk Player
1 5
2 20
3 29
4 44
5 53
6 68
7 77
8 92
9 101
10 116
11 125
12 140
13 149
14 164
15 173
16 188
17 197
18 212
19 221
20 236
21 245
22 260
23 269
Frank Stampfl
Rd Pk Player
1 6
2 19
3 30
4 43
5 54
6 67
7 78
8 91
9 102
10 115
11 126
12 139
13 150
14 163
15 174
16 187
17 198
18 211
19 222
20 235
21 246
22 259
23 270
Marty Tallman
Rd Pk Player
1 7
2 18
3 31
4 42
5 55
6 66
7 79
8 90
9 103
10 114
11 127
12 138
13 151
14 162
15 175
16 186
17 199
18 210
19 223
20 234
21 247
22 258
23 271
Sean Martin
Rd Pk Player
1 8
2 17
3 32
4 41
5 56
6 65
7 80
8 89
9 104
10 113
11 128
12 137
13 152
14 161
15 176
16 185
17 200
18 209
19 224
20 233
21 248
22 257
23 272
Mike Nelson
Rd Pk Player
1 9
2 16
3 33
4 40
5 57
6 64
7 81
8 88
9 105
10 112
11 129
12 136
13 153
14 160
15 177
16 184
17 201
18 208
19 225
20 232
21 249
22 256
23 273
Jeremy Heist
Rd Pk Player
1 10
2 15
3 34
4 39
5 58
6 63
7 82
8 87
9 106
10 111
11 130
12 135
13 154
14 159
15 178
16 183
17 202
18 207
19 226
20 231
21 250
22 255
23 274
Chris Towers
Rd Pk Player
1 11
2 14
3 35
4 38
5 59
6 62
7 83
8 86
9 107
10 110
11 131
12 134
13 155
14 158
15 179
16 182
17 203
18 206
19 227
20 230
21 251
22 254
23 275
Scott White
Rd Pk Player
1 12
2 13
3 36
4 37
5 60
6 61
7 84
8 85
9 108
10 109
11 132
12 133
13 156
14 157
15 180
16 181
17 204
18 205
19 228
20 229
21 252
22 253
23 276